dennis



(No Model.)

- T. A. DENNIS.

BOX FASTENER.

No. 280,142. Patented June 26, 1883- INVBNTOR i C /ZZ.%W BY I M ATTORNEYS.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

- THEODORE A. DENNIS, OF NEWARK, NEW JERSEY, ASSIGNOR TO HIMSELF AND CHARLES DENNIS, OF SAME PLACE.

BOX-FASTENER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 280,142, dated June 26, 1883.'

Application filed March 12, i883. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, Tnnononn A. DENNIS, of Newark, in the county of Essex and State of New Jersey, have invented a new and Improved Latch for Trunks, Satchels, &c., of which the followingis a full, clear, and exact description.

The object of my invention is to provide a a new and improved automatically-locking latch IQ for trunks, chests, valises, &c.

The invention consists in a latch constructed with a hasp provided with ridges having notches in the lower ends, which hasp fits into a casing provided at the lower end with a pivoted catch having a tongue and two inwardlyprojecting prongs which pass into the notches in the ridges and hold the hasp in the casing. A spring attached to the casing acts on the catch and presses it against the hasp.

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings, forming part of this specification,in which similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts in all the figures.

Figure lis a front elevation of my improved latch, showing the manner in which it is applied. Fig. 2 is a cross-sectional elevation of the same on the line as 00, Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a perspective view of the skeleton tongue at tached to the cover. Fig. 4 is a perspective view of the pivoted catch.

A tongue or hasp, A, is provided on its outer surface with a. ridge or rib, a, at each longitudinal edge, which ribs have their lower ends beveled off, and are each provided with a notch or recess, 12, a short distance above the beveled end. The tongue or hasplA is to be attached to the cover B. To the body of the chest D, trunk, &c., a casing, E, is at tached, which is adapted to receive the tongue or hasp A. In the open. lower end of the middle part of the casing E a catch, F, is pivoted to swing toward and from the body of chest or trunk, the curved tongue G of the catch projecting downward. At each side of the tongue G the catch is provided with an inwardly-projecting prong, H, which prongs are separated the same distance as the ribs a, so that when the hasp A is passed into the casing E the prongs H will be over the ribs a.

A spring, J, secured to the inner surface of the middle part of the casing E, has its free end resting against the inner or upper edge of the catch F, thereby pressing the outer curved end of the tongue G against the body of the chest or trunk. When the hasp A passes into the casing E, the'beveled ends of the ridges a raise the prongs H, and after the beveled ends have passed, the prongs snap into the recesses I) under the action of the spring J, and thus lock the hasp in the casing. If the hasp is to be removed, the end of the tongue G is raised for the purpose of withdrawing the prongs H from the recesses b. As I provide askeleton hasp, but very little metal will be required, for the part uniting the ridges a can be made very thin or dispensed with entirely. If desired, the entire hasp may be made the thickness of the ridges, and in that case the hasp is provided at its lower end with a transverse groove or notch. I have shown the tongue G as being larger than the prongs but it can be punched out of the downwardly-bent end of the catch,

in which case the tongue will be smaller than the prongs.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

l. The combination of ahasp having ridges notched at the lower end, a tongued catch pivoted to case and provided with two inwardly-proj ecting prongs, and a spring adapted to act on the catch, as shown and described.

2. The combination, with the hasp A, provided. with ridges at, having notches at the lower ends, of the casing E and the catch F, pivoted in the lower part of the casing E, and provided with prongs H, adapted to pass into the notches in the hasp, substantially as herein shown and described, and for the purpose set forth.

3. The combination, with the hasp A, provided with ridges 1, having notches in the lower ends, of the casing E and the catch F, pivoted in the casing, and provided with a tongue, G, and two prongs, H, substantially as herein shown and described, and for the purpose set forth.

THEODORE AUGUSTUS DENNIS.

\Vitnesses:

THOMAS E. SEssERsoN, THEODORE F. PITTENGER. 

